Proposing to Torment
by Ejays17
Summary: [Elsie J Oxenham] Proposing isn't the easiest thing to do, particularly to a Torment... complete story


**Proposing to Torment**

**Disclaimer**: Pippin, Tormy & Tony belong to the heirs of Elsie J Oxenham. I only own an evil plot-bunny called Bronwen.

**A/N**: Written for the February challenge at where we had to write or re-write a proposal from a children's book. The characters I chose are from a 3-book series by Elsie J Oxenham, while they are only 15 or so in the books, I thought there was plenty of hints to go this way.

They walked slowly down to the boatshed, Tormy keeping her eyes fixed on the lake and biting the inside of her cheek in a desperate attempt not to cry. She had blithely told Dorothy that she was perfectly happy with her plans to become a PT mistress, even if the plans had changed with Pen getting engaged. But she knew this was no longer true. Seeing Dorothy's happiness with her new baby, and Pen's excitement over her upcoming life had stirred the long-suppressed feminine side to her.

She saw dimly that being 'chums' with a boy was all well and good when one was younger, but when one grew up, needs and wants changed, and being 'chums' was no longer as satisfactory. Tormy didn't really understand the vague feeling of unhappiness that she had felt since Dorothy had had her child, and had grown away from her in an indefinable way.

Pippin was feeling a bad case of nerves. He felt there was a large flock of butterflies let loose in his stomach. His long talk with Tony a few hours before had cleared his mind considerably, but he was still unsure of Tormy's reaction.

They stopped on the edge of the dick, and Tormy continued to gaze steadily over the lake. After the partial conversation she had accidentally overheard between Tony and Pippin, she felt as if her world had turned upside-down. Now she was just waiting for the news.

After figuratively grasping his courage in both hands, Pippin began speaking rapidly. "I – I've got something I need to tell you. No, ask you! I was talking to Tony earlier…"

Tormy cut him off sharply. "I heard you. I didn't mean to eavesdrop and I covered my ears and went away as soon as I realised it was such a private conversation." She turned to face him, for one glad that she hadn't grown much taller since she was fifteen, as it meant the wide brim of her hat hid her face from Pippin. Feeling the stinging sensation in the backs of her eyes which heralded the inset of tears, she rushed through the next part of her speech, wanting to get away before she disgraced herself completely in front of him.

"You're both my best friends, and I'm happy for the both of you, truly I am. Tony will make you a lovely wife; she's beautiful and elegant and feminine. She's never been considered 'one of the boys', and I know you've always admired her, right from when you met. I'm sure you'll be very happy together."

Tormy's voice broke on the last word, and the tears which had been threatening now began to fall quickly. She wanted to get away from Pippin; to find herself a little hidey-hole and cry her heart out with disappointment over something she didn't realise she had wanted desperately until it was gone.

Pippin looked horrified. His talk with Tony earlier had not covered what to do if Tormy cried. This was not going at all like he had planned. "Tormy, please don't cry," he begged. "It's not like that at all! I wanted to… wanted to…" His voice trailed off as Tormy turned and fled along the lakeside path.

Pippin stared after her in stupefaction for a few moments before shaking himself vigorously and taking off along the path after her. He caught a glimpse of her white dress as she scrambled down the bank and into a small sandy cove. He watched as she threw herself full-length on the sand, uncaring of the mess it made of her clothes, shaking with sobs.

He slid ungracefully down the bank and knelt next to her. He placed a gentle hand on her arm and said, "Tormy? Please Tormy, stop crying. You're worrying me, because you never cry." With his other hand he fumbled in his pocket for his handkerchief, which he pushed into her unresisting hand. "Mop yourself up and tell me why you're so upset. This isn't the girl I know and lo…" He stopped abruptly.

Tormy sat up and scrubbed her face dry with the handkerchief. Instead of giving back to Pippin she smoothed it out in her lap, using it as an excuse not to look up at Pippin.

"Shouldn't you go back to Tony? You've told me what you wanted me to know and it hardly seems fair that you're here with me when you would much rather be with her," Tormy said in a tone leached of all emotion.

Pippin sat back on his heels at this comment. He ran through what Tormy had said since they had left Tony's house: putting two and two together he made at least five. His heart sank as he imagined the hurt he had inadvertently put her through.

"Oh, Tormy," he murmured, running his fingers gently down her cheek and cupping her chin. He tilted her head up so he could look her in the eyes while he tried to untangle the mess he had made of things, He had been so anxious that things would go right that he had not realised the half-heard conversation could have a whole other meaning.

"Tormy, while I'm very fond of Tony, and she is of me, we're just good friends. I wanted to ask her advice about something I've been thinking about for a while. I'm nervous about what I want to say and the best way to say it, so I asked Tony if I could practice my speech on her. That must have been what you heard." He dropped his hand from her chin and took hold of her clasped hands.

"This is not how I wanted it to be, but I am determined to finish this before you leap to any more conclusions.

"We've always been great chums, you and I, ever since you asked to see my feet on the train the first day we met." As Pippin hoped, this recollection brought a faint smile to Tormy's face when she remembered the fool she had made of herself that day.

Heartened, Pippin continued, "Pen will be getting married soon, and Tony won't be much behind, even if nothing's been said yet." He noticed Tormy opening her mouth in preparation to speak. "No, don't interrupt. I want to finish what I have to say before I lose my nerve." Taking a deep breath and trying to control his shaking hands, he continued, "So, what I am trying to say, really quite badly actually, is that I care about you very much and would like to marry you…." He finished in a rush, conscious of his burning cheeks, and waited hopefully for her reply.

Tormy seemed to be stunned with the direction the conversation had gone in. She sat there mutely, a look of shock on her face.

The silence lengthened. Finally, Pippin said shakily, "Right, I've made a fool of myself. I'll leave now and not bother you again."

He released her hands and stood up, wanting to away as fast as he could.

"Yes."

The soft word stopped him before he had taken two paces. He wheeled and stared in disbelief. "What did you say?" he asked quickly.

Tormy had scrambled to her feet while his back was turned. She took two steps forwards, closing the gap between them, and, placing her hand gently in his, repeated, "Yes, I will marry you."

**Finished**


End file.
